Oh dear Lord.
“Try to keep your clothes and feet out of the way so you don’t pee on them.” How could he sound so normal? Was this something he did every day? Coaxed someone on how to pee outside? And here she thought moving to the country, the only things she’d need to worry about were the different sorts of critters. She froze in a crouching position.
“What if there’s a snake?” she asked in a high voice.
“There’s a snake?” Now alarm filled his voice.
“Not that I can see!” She glanced around frantically. “But what if one appears?”
“Okay, Mari-girl. Calm down. I can hear you panicking from here.”
Well. Yeah. She was freaking out. Peeing outdoors. Have snakes slither up on her while her pants were down. These were all new experiences and none of them good.
“Snakes are more scared of you than you are of them.”
“I really don’t think that’s possible.” Her thighs were starting to burn. She needed to start an exercise routine. Pronto.
Not that she ever intended on repeating this experience again.
Nope. Not happening. She should have just held on and risked peeing her pants.
“Snakes aren’t really active this time of year, it’s too cold for them. But if you want, I can come keep watch for you?”
“No! In fact, you should step away. Far away.”
Last thing she needed was for him to hear her pee.
“I’m not going too far away in case you need me. Just let go, Mari-girl. I’m not embarrassed. You shouldn’t be either.”
Easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one peeing behind a bush and making a fool of themselves.
Finally, knowing she couldn’t crouch here much longer or she’d risk falling over, she forced herself to relax. She could hear Linc singing in the background as though he was trying to help her relax. What was he singing?
Whatever it was, it did the trick. She finished up and then stood behind the bush, trying to wait for the embarrassment on her cheeks to fade.
Come on, Marisol. You can do this.
“Are you singing?” she asked as she walked back towards him.
“Thought it might help,” he told her.
“Well, it did. So thank you,” she replied quietly.
Suddenly, something sharp pierced her foot and she let out a cry. Falling onto her ass, she grabbed at her foot, tears dripping down her face.
“What is it? What happened?” he demanded.
“I . . . I don’t k-know!” she wailed. He crouched and grabbed her foot, looking around.
“Oh shit, you stood on a bee, teeny.”
She sniffed, her foot was hot, burning. He turned it over and there was a red welt on her foot. Already it was starting to swell. He flicked the stinger away.
“Ow. Ow. Owie.”
“Oh, baby,” he crooned in sympathy. “Are you allergic?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”